1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to apparatus for fishing, and more particularly, to a floating apparatus which suspends a multiple number of lines therefrom.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One commonly used fishing technique is that referred to as "float fishing" or "jug fishing". Float fishing is a technique whereby a device, floating on the water, is used to retain a line that holds the hook and an anchor if desired. Typically a one gallon size plastic container is used for the float, thus the term "jug fishing".
The use of plastic jugs for float fishing provides a minimal cost apparatus, however, many factors make this method inconvenient.
For example, the depth at which the hook will be located is fixed by the length of the line attached to the jug. To change fishing depth, it is necessary to retie the line at a different length.
Also, it is often desirable to anchor the jug so that it remains in a fixed location. This may be accomplished by an additional length of line below the hook, with that additional length of line being tied to an anchor. This extra line adds to the inconvenience of this technique as it tends to become entangled with a hook. If a separate anchor line is used, the problem of entanglement is even greater since there are now two lines to contend with.
Another problem with conventional jug fishing is that when retrieving the line for travel, there is no convenient way to store the line without entanglement.
Typically when jug fishing, more than one line is desired. This requires additional jugs and lines for each hook. Due to the natural movement of the jugs on the water, it is necessary to position the jugs at a distance to prevent entanglement. This may cause additional jugs to be located away from the desired fishing spot.
Such multiple jug locations also increase the chance of the fisherman encroaching upon sites other people may have selected.
Also, jugs of the type commonly used are not highly visible, which increases the hazard to boating and skiing. Also, the low visibility makes locating the jugs more difficult upon returning to check the hooks.
It is often desirable to allow the jugs to float with the current. This makes multiple jugs especially inconvenient due to the scattering effect and the probability of entanglement.
Thus, it is seen that there is a need in the art for improved techniques of float fishing which eliminate the problems described above which are encountered with conventional jug fishing.